Rival Baguio City groups to stage own Panagbenga

BAGUIO CITY — This vacation city will certainly be twice abloom next year, what with two Flower Festivals in the offing.

Two groups are both girding for its own version of the tourist-drawing event, each accusing each other of having "no legal leg to stand on."

Yesterday, the Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFF) launched its own version of the Panagbenga 2006 at SM Baguio, eroding any attempts for a "unified celebration" with the separate Flower Festival of the Baguio Flower Festival Association (BFFA) in February next year.

Mayor Braulio Yaranon tried to patch up the conflict between the BFFF and BFFA by creating an ad hoc committee led by Catholic Bishop Carlito Cenzon.

But both groups have turned combative, derailing efforts to merge them into running a successful Panagbenga 2006 celebration.

Amid all this, Yaranon vowed that he would exercise his executive prerogative as city mayor.

"I will not issue any permit to the BFFF," he said yesterday morning, minutes before the BFFF launched its own Flower Festival.

"There will only be one Panagbenga in Baguio," he added, referring to the BFFA version.

Yaranon’s combative stance now was a far cry from his reconciliatory mood two weeks ago. He was apparently irked by the meddling of his nemesis, former mayor Bernardo Vergara, and Rep. Mauricio Domogan, who themselves led the BFFF launch yesterday.

Majority of the BFFF-led activities will be held in public places like Burnham Park and Session Road, except the Market Encounter which is slated at Camp John Hay.

But Yaranon is unfazed, saying, "I will not issue any permit."

As the city’s chief executive, he said he exercises full control over the police and city departments, including the schools where most of the performers come from.

"If they want to exercise the role of the executive, they become mayor first," he said, apparently referring to Vergara and Domogan.

Yaranon also took potshots at the majority of the 14-member city council which demanded that the staging of the annual Panagbenga be returned to the hands of the BFFF.

"Why should we return it to them?" he said. "Panagbenga is owned by the people."

Yaranon, a former regional trial court judge as well as city councilor and secretary in the 70s, vowed there would be only one Panagbenga.

"I will not allow anyone to usurp my authority," he said.

Yaranon, however, admitted that the BFFF could launch its own Flower Festival, but doubts whether it would be successful.